 | |
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | John O. Johnson |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1901 |
| Builder(s) | Johnson Boat Works Melges Performance Sailboats |
| Role | racer |
| Name | A Scow |
| Boat | |
| Crew | at least five |
| Displacement | 1,850 lb (839 kg) |
| Draft | 4.00 ft (1.22 m) with acenterboard down |
| Hull | |
| Type | monohull |
| Construction | wood orfiberglass |
| LOA | 38.00 ft (11.58 m) |
| Beam | 8.25 ft (2.51 m) |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | dual centerboards |
| Rudder(s) | dual, spade-typerudders |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | fractional riggedsloop |
| Mainsail area | 350 sq ft (33 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 150 sq ft (14 m2) |
| Spinnaker area | 1,200 sq ft (110 m2) |
| Total sail area | 500 sq ft (46 m2) |
TheA Scow is an Americanscow-hulledsailing dinghy that was designed byJohn O. Johnson as aracer and first built in 1901.[1]
The A Scow design was developed into theV38, byVictory by Design, LLC in 2005.[2]
The design was initially built byJohnson Boat Works inWhite Bear Lake, MinnesotaUnited States, but that company closed in 1998 and production passed toMelges Performance Sailboats, who continue to build it.[1][3][4][5]
The A Scow traces its origins back to a Johnson-designed prototype in 1896. Over time the class has changed and evolved into essentially aone design class today. At 38.00 ft (11.58 m)length overall, the design is the largest scow raced today and is one of the largest dinghies produced.[1]
The A Scow is a racingsailboat, with the early versions built from wood and the more recent ones built predominantly offiberglass. It has afractionalsloop with amastheadspinnaker. The hull is a scow design with a raised counter, verticaltransom; dual spade-typerudders controlled by dualtillers and dual retractablecenterboards. It displaces 1,850 lb (839 kg) and carries no ballast.[1]
The boat has adraft of 4.00 ft (1.22 m) with a centerboard extended and 1.00 ft (0.30 m) with both retracted, allowingbeaching or ground transportation on atrailer.[1]
For sailing the design is equipped with anasymmetrical spinnaker of 1,200 sq ft (110 m2), flown from a retractablebowsprit.[1]
The design is raced with a crew of at least fivesailors and normally has a total of six or seven crew members to help balance the boat.[5]
The boat is supported by a national class club, theNational Class A Scow Association, which regulates the class and organizes races.[6] The A Scow is mostly raced on lakes in themidwestern United States.[1]
A film was made about racing A Scows,The Ultimate Ride, by racer Peter Crawford.[7]
A review inSailing World in 2006 by Gary Jobson, wrote, "these boats sail best when heeled more than 20 degrees, and in a breeze, it takes a lot of courage to do this. The boat rocks up and you feel as if you're about to be catapulted out of the cockpit. But a subtle tug on the tiller, a slight ease of the main and spinnaker sheets, and zingo, you're sailing at 25 knots. There's no crew weight limit, so depending on the wind strength, 5 to 7 crew can be piled on the rail with sailors rotating on or off in between races."[7]
